Coolant leak, Passenger side, near Oil Filter

[Eraser]

92 ford explorer
(BACKSTORY)
today when i got home, i parked in the garage (i usually park on the street). i was doing so because i was planning on giving the explorer the once over, to make sure nothing was wrong and all the fluids were ok.

about 3 hours after i get home, i go into the garage and open up the hood. the resevoir tank is pretty much empty, and when looking into the radiator, the fluid level is down about 5 inches. there were no signs of leaks or puddles of fluid on the garage floor, and i doubt it would have all dried up in 3 hours time in a closed in garage. also, today it was mild, maybe 80 degrees, and i had just travelled 25 miles going in excess of 80 most of the way. the temperature was fine. i have had no overheating problems in the past months either.

so i fill it up with antifreeze, and then fill the resevoir with water. i noticed that there was some small gelatin pieces of goo around the neck of the radiator and also in the resevoir.. i replaced the radiator and did a coolant replacement and flush (not professional probably) around the end of june of this year.

when i'm done, i run it around the block, and park it, and get ready to come in when i look under the car. its leaking coolant!
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there is a coolant leak somewhere on the passenger side of the car, somewhere above or around the oil filter, possibly closer to the front of the car.

from the top of the engine, i cannot see any leaks, i can only see it from the bottom. i cannot see exactly where it is coming from, only the general vicinity, which is near the oil filter.

it seems to be dribbling down the engine and it is also on the transmission fluid lines.

the front of the engine has no leaks, it was dry. the waterpump area was dry, too.

here are some pictures of the area to show you what it looked like (100-200KB in size, each)

http://smdb.krypt.com/images/coolantleak1.jpg
http://smdb.krypt.com/images/coolantleak2.jpg
http://smdb.krypt.com/images/coolantleak3.jpg
http://smdb.krypt.com/images/coolantleak4.jpg

[passenger side, on the inside of the wheel well, above the front axle, near the oil filter]

I appreciate ANY help you guys can provide. thank you.

-

also, if you've read this far and feel like reading more, here is a picture of the oil pan area
http://smdb.krypt.com/images/oilleak1.jpg
looks like i'm leaking oil from the joint right in the middle of the picture. any suggestions on this would be GREATLY appreciated.

THANK YOU!!!

 

[mrboyle]

The most comon cause for coolant leaks in the area your X is leaking is a blown intake manifold gasket. It typically can't be seen from the top. As for the oil leak, the fluid in the picture appears to be tranny fluid. Unless it gets a lot worse don't worry about it.

 

[Eraser]

intake manifold gasket...
is there anyway i can confirm this?

also, is there anyway i could fix this myself or is this something that needs to be fixed by a mechanic.

thanks

 

[Charlie's_93EB]

i do not know a lot about engines, i can replace a lot of things though. i have a less than technical way of testing hoses. start the truck, pop the hood, start grabbing hoses pull and twist till you get sprayed in the face with what ever is leaking a lil crude but it works, well.

 

[hvac man]

How about checking around the freeze plugs and give them a good cleaning, if you think it is coming out of one of them. That way you can see more clearly where it is coming from. I know it is kind of expencive but I like to have my engine steam cleaned at a detail shop about every 2 yrs so I can see where the fluids are coming from. It also makes it more fun to work on

 

[Eraser]

i have a haynes manual and i can't find either of those things in it (freeze plugs, intake manifold gasket). is there a manual which shows how to fix these things, or where they are at least?

if not....can you guys inform me how to check these things? i know some things but not a whole lot so I need some help here, please!

also some clarification: today i drove to the store and it leaked in the parking lot. it wasn't a huge amount, maybe a 1/4 of a cup at most. this occured in a 15 minutes time period, and i only drove the explorer about 4 miles.

just now when i got home, it didn't leak. i looked under the car, and it doesn't look like any of the hoses are leaking, or the water pump (weep hole).

 

[Eraser]

anyone?

 

[Eraser]

dude how'd this get on page 4

assistance required here, fellas